Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 102 Part 3.djvu/1021

 PUBLIC LAW 100-585—NOV. 3, 1988

Public Law 100-585 100th Congress

102 STAT. 2973

An Act

To facilitate and implement the settlement of Colorado Ute Indian reserved water rights claims in southwest Colorado, and for other purposes.

Nov. 3, 1988 [H.R. 2642]

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

Colorado ute

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

Indian Water Rights

This Act may be cited as the "Colorado Ute Indian Water Rights of 198™^" Settlement Act of 1988". SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

The Congress finds that— (1) The Federal reserved water rights claims of the Ute Mountain Ute Indian Tribe and the Southern Ute Indian Tribe are the subject of existing and prospective lawsuits involving the United States, the State of Colorado, and numerous parties in southwestern Colorado. (2) These lawsuits will prove expensive and time consuming to the Indian and non-Indian communities of southwestern Colorado. (3) The major parties to the lawsuits and others interested in the settlement of the water rights claims of the Ute Mountain Ute Indian Tribe and the Southern Ute Indian Tribe have worked diligently to settle these claims, resulting in the June 30, 1986, Binding Agreement for Animas-La Plata Project Cost Sharing which was executed in compliance with the cost sharing requirements of chapter IV of Public Law 99-88 (99 Stat. 293), and the December 10, 1986, Colorado Ute Indian Water Rights Final Settlement Agreement. (4) The Ute Mountain Ute Indian Tribe and the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, by resolution of their respective tribal councils, which are the duly recognized governing bodies of each Tribe, have approved the December 10, 1986, Agreement and sought Federal implementation of its terms. (5) This Act is required to implement portions of the above two agreements. SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

Forpurposesof this Act— (1) The term "Agreement" means the Colorado Ute Indian Water Rights Final Settlement Agreement dated December 10, , 1986, among the State of Colorado, the Ute Mountain Ute Indian Tribe, the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, the United States, and other participating parties. (2) The term "Animas-La Plata Project" means the AnimasLa Plata Project, Colorado and New Mexico, a participating project under the Act of April 11, 1956 (70 Stat. 105; 43 U.S.C. 620; commonly referred to as the "Colorado River Storage

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